Pyeongchang is nearly 7,000 miles away from Palisades Park, but on Friday, it will feel close to home. The Winter Olympics is bringing a flush of pride to the eastern Bergen County community, whose population is more than half Korean.

As Korean-American Councilman Chris Chung says, “We are a nation that is small in numbers but want to show that we can still impact the world.”

So when the flags wave at Olympic Stadium, many of Korean heritage will be glued to their screens, not just for the excitement of sport, but for the chance to see their homeland portrayed in its best light.

The Rev. Minhyun Cho of St. Michael’s Church says there is a general feeling that South Korea has come up in the world.

“A lot of immigrants left after the war and are proud of how far South Korea has come. It is a way to show the government and that we are proud of our democracy.”

“I think there is a lot of excitement, because this is a big deal and it is good for the country’s morale,” Chung said.

Gloria Oh, an Englewood Cliffs Borough Council member, said that in addition to national pride and global recognition, hosting the Olympics can help South Korea financially.

“The last time the Olympics were held there, in Seoul in 1988, it boosted commerce for South Korea and gave global acknowledgment,” Oh said. “I’m hoping that this will be just as beneficial to the country.”

A study by the Hyundai Research Institute at the time of the Olympics bidding estimated that the 2018 Games would add 64.9 trillion won, or more than $61 million, to the Korean economy. However, that estimate excluded expenditures, which are reportedly in the neighborhood of $12 billion.

If the financial gains don't materialize, there is still the symbolic importance. Cho said the opportunity to host the Olympics is another way to show that the country is “strong and vibrant.”

“South Korea is already a member of the G20, and this is just another manifestation of that vitality,” Cho said. “The country is a big player in the eastern Asia region, and I think and hope that this will be a way for America to see that Korea is important, too.”

It's not lost on the Korean diaspora that these Olympics will be taking place 50 miles from the border with North Korea.

Last month when the South Korea Unification Ministry announced that the two Koreas intended to march in together for the opening ceremony, with the Korean unification flag, and organize a joint women’s ice hockey team, many in the community saw it as a step in the right direction.

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“It is a good thing for North Korea to join in, because it is better for everyone to see that,” Ryu said. “I’m glad it’s happening because right now tensions are high, but for South Korea it is definitely a benefit.”

Palisades Park resident John Kim expressed cautious optimism. “It is good that they are competing and marching together, but there is still tension,” he said.

Oh feels that though there are differences, that’s not everything.

“I think that’s a really awesome thing for the two countries to be doing,” Oh said. “It symbolizes that maybe behind all these talks of nuclear bombs and bad things, maybe there is some commonality.”

“I remember watching a program one time when they did allow an exchange so families could see each other, and it just brought great sadness to me, because at the end of it all they had to go back and they were humans with the same feelings,” Chung said. “That’s why things like this make me want to be nice to my parents and really just think about my family.”

Cho sees the Games as an opportunity to look forward and find common ground for all people.

“I just pray that this is held in the Olympic spirit of peace and making friends,” Cho said. “It is a chance to lay a foundation of peace and not confrontation.”

In that vein, Ryu plans to air the Games on the big screens in Kudo Society each night, for a communal experience.

Bergen County has the nation's highest concentration of people of Korean heritage. Edgewater, Fort Lee, Leonia and other Bergen County towns are also rich in Korean culture. but Palisades Park, with its strip of shops and restaurants on Broad Avenue dubbed "Koreatown," is the heart of the community.

The Rev. Minhyun Cho of St. Michael's Church in Palisades Park says there is a general feeling that South Korea has come up in the world.(Photo: Marko Georgiev/NorthJersey.com)

If all the excitement of Pyeongchang isn’t enough, Councilman Jongchul Lee has already started looking ahead to the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Lee, a former Mexican National and Olympic Team Coach, met with Olympic officials to consult about the rules for taekwondo in the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

“I went to talk about the rules," Lee said. "We are already getting ready.”